“My friend’s mom told Harry Nilsson, ‘You gotta hear him play!’ I played and he asked, ‘What are you doing next Wednesday?’”: Val McCallum’s accidental introduction to session work

STUDIO CITY, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Musician Val McCallum performs onstage during Norman's Rare Guitars "Guitar Summit" benefiting The Midnight Mission at The Write-off Room on September 08, 2024 in Studio City, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images).

Even though he’s lent a hand to Sheryl Crow, The Wallflowers, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, and Jackson Browne, Val McCallum doesn’t see himself as an in-demand session musician.

He’s downright humble, if not self-deprecating, recalling a moment early on where he failed. “My mom offered to buy me a car if I’d just learn to read music,” he tells Guitar World. “I didn’t get the car!”